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Polar CS400 and CS600, new cycling PC linked computers
http://www.polar.fi/press-site/press...806/index.html
These products were announced last summer (August 2006) and it seems as though Polar is close to shipping one or both some time soon. It looks to me as if the CS400 is comparable to the current S series 7,XX and 625x but without power add-on functions while the CS600 is comparable to the best features of the the current monitors I just mentioned and the S810's extra memory and more frequent sampling (up to 1 second) and beat to bear heart rate metrics (rather than calculating a rate based on X during the given sample rate it records every heart beat). There are also additional updates / technology upgrades like RF transmissions of digital data from the 2.4 GHZ sensors that now can be powered for a 25" range (because of the problem of cross-talk from other users being virtually eliminated in theory at least) The power add-on with the CS600 (only) is also enhanced, though I can't recall what is improved aside from fewer wires (there is one remaining from the derailleur pulley IIRC) and the same (relatively) high reliability of the 2.4 GHZ digital coded transmissions I mentioned already. The best part is this is all available for a little less than a 7/XX with its power add-on. The only downside is that (obviously) there is no compatibility with the S-series, so those of us that have multiple bikes mounted with sensors will need to replace all of them. This is the first time they have done this (all previous wireless sensors are compatible with the current S-Series though the recent low-end computers that are similar in feature set but are more akin to the S-5.XX models also use different technology than the S-6.XX and S-7.XX). This will be the first time that a cycling model will be available with all of the best features (all previous model groups have always had a non-cycling model with beat to beat recording and more memory). There are very few compromises. I also think that (reading between the lines) the new CS computers use a picture element display (aka pixels) that is "fully programmable" in that you can choose from lots of display options, or at least more than the current models. By the way, I don't know that anyone noticed that the firmware was updated on the 725x and 625x (models that can use both cycling and running sensors) to allow more display options, like cadence and trip distance now available to put in the display options for the largest center display line when trip distance was not available before or with other current models until you download it to your PC) and a few other trivial options that I forget. The only other feature I remember is the option of programming "auto-lap" that programs the monitor to record a lap for every preset interval. The CS400 and CS600 (and a few others I am not sure about) are shipping with the latest Polar software called "Pro-trainer 5.0" (based mostly on the PPP version 4, with planning features similar to what is available on the web service) and an updated interface. There was a trial version of the Pro-trainer that was very unstable and the shipping version is just as bad, however, the update is already up and even more seamless to update from the web auto-magically and it replaces all of the core *.exe and .dll files. It runs even more stable than the recent PPP 4 software. I am not sure if the demo can be updated, but it might be worth a try because the planning feature extends the usefulness hugely. The daily plans can be saved as files and shared, so coaches can email files for each work session. The planning feature is similar to the current "Polar Exercise Session" (.pes) files that can be created to load to the watch, but they can also be assigned to the calendar, so this is a huge gain in function, plus there are some nice additional features that make the session plans more useful. I do not know if a coherent plan can be created as a simple package the way that historical sessions and diary data can. Maybe that would be a nice suggestion for them if it is not already there. So, that is all I know and I am wondering if anyone has any other info regarding features and ship dates on the main units and the separate accessories. I see no reason for the need to change IR link technology, but the fact that the current picklist in the IR driver controls does not include the CS.X models (yet?) makes me a little worried. On the other hand, the prices for the accessories are still reasonable and street prices are the same now as when the first cycling models were first shipped ($40 USD) and while the updated technology would justify higher prices, the same can be said for the core units too, and the prices are said to be lower. One last thing is that the top models have had real-time links available and there is a slim chance the CS600 may include this too (as the S810 does). If so, that would be pretty cool to have, especially if used with a high quality Ergometer / indoor trainer. The only thing missing would be Oxygen metrics and with the portable models getting cheaper all the time, it is feasible for well-to-do cyclists or teams / clubs with a modest budget to put together a pretty good portable lab. |
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